Shipping crate



R. STEELE SHIPPING CRATE Aug. 14, 1928. 1,681,063

Filed Dec. '24, 1926' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EOSCOE STEELE, OI ROCKAWAY BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WIRE- BOUNDSPATENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01" MAINE.

snrermo one-rs.

Application met December :4, 1926. Serial No. 150,812.

This'invention relates to ship in crates and particularl to wireboun sippmg crates of the bu ge-pack type for use 1n the shipment of citrusfruit and the like.

Among other ob'ects, the invention 1s 1ntended to provi e an improvedw1rebound bulge-pack shipping crate which is light in weight and strongin construction, and which may be quickly and easily assembled andpacked.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a crate with a topsection which, when secured in place on a bulge pack, is free to shiftrelative to the body of the crate at either end of the crate and therebyaccompan the settling movement of the contents of t e crate.

Another object of the invention is to pro -vide .such a crate with abulge-pack top which is held in position on the bulge pack by wiresunder tension, which WlI'eS cause the top to accompany a settlingmovement of the contents of the crate.

One illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of theunderside of the top section of the crate.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the body of the crate, i. e. the sides,bottom and ends.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the empty crate with the top in properos1t1on, and showing the top section exten mg at either end beyond thebody of the crate so as to permit the top to be bulged upward whenplaced in position on a bulge pack. I

Fig. 4 1s a perspective view of the-crate filled with a bulge pack ofcitrus frult, and with the to section in bulged position and secured tothe body of the crate by the bindin wires.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the crate shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a to Ian view of the blank which when fol e constitutes thebottom and side sections of the crate.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the top section of the crate.

Fig. 9 is a sidexelevation of the blank shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the top section shown in Fig. 8.

of the crate The sides and bottom of the illustrative crate consist ofthree separate sections of side sheets 1 and end cleats 2 connectedtogether in foldable relationship by binding wires 3 secured to thesheets 1 and cleats 2 by staples 4 which straddle the wires 3, passthrough the sheets 1 and into or through the cleats 2. Additional centercleats 5 may be provided to strengthen the crate at its center and tohold a partition-6 if desired. A center wire 7 is stapled to the sheets1 and to center cleats 5, if such center cleats are provided. The cleatsare preferably of the type known as butt end cleats and are sodimensioned and positioned that the cleats on the bottom section willoverlap the ends of the cleats on the side sections. End sections 8 restagainst the inner faces of the end cleats 2 of the side and bottomsections and are secured thereto by staples or nails driven through theend sections 8 and into the end cleats 2. The sheets 1 are preferablyspaced from each other in each section and between sections to providefor ventilation.

The top section consists of a sheet or sheets 1", and end cleats 2. Endwires 3 are secured to the section at either end by staples 4" which aredriven over each wire 3, through each sheet 1 and into the end cleat 2.A center wire '7 is stapled to the sheet or sheets 1*. v The end wires 3and the center wire 7 are so ositioned that they will be in substantiala ignment respectively with the body wires 3 and 7 when the top sectionis placed in closing position, so that the ends of the respective wireson the top and on the body may be twisted together to complete thecontinuity of the wire binding about the crate and to hold the topsection in position. The ends of the wires on the top section and thebody of the crate are preferably tensioned over the closing corners,when twisted, so that the top section will be held firmly on the bulgepack and will .be drawn downward with the contents of the crate when thecontents settle. The top section is preferably from to 3 of an inchlonger than the sectionswhich constitute the body of the crate, and thecleats of the top section, which are also butt end cleats, aredimensioned and positioned to fit between the cleats on the sidesections when the top section is placed in position and thereby completethe formation of a reinforcing cleat frame at either end of the crate.The butt end character of the cleat ends permits the cleats of the topsection to shift relative to the cleats of the side sections toaccommodate varying degrees of bulge inthe top section, withoutimpairing the reinforcing efiectiveness of the cleat frame. For example,in Fig. 3 where the top section lies fiat, and is not bulged, a portionof the end cleats 2 of the top section extend at either end of the cratebeyond the edges of the cleats 2 of the side sections, while in Fig. 4the top section has been bulged upward b the contents of the crate'andthe end cleats 2 of the top section at either end of the crate haveshifted inward to accommodate the bulge and are flush with the cleats 2of the side sections. Fig. 4 re resents the position of the top sectionimme iately after it has been put in position on a bulge pack and hasbeen secured in position by twisting the ends of the wires on the tosection and the body of the crate respective said wires being tensionedover the closing corners of the crate. The tensioned wires cause the topsection to pressfirmly upon the bulge pack and, when the pack settles,the tensioned wires will cause the top to follow the settlement of thecontents of the crate keeping a firm pressure thereon. When thissettlement of the contents of the crate and of the top section occurs,the cleats 2 of the top section shift outwardly relative to the endcleats 2 of theside sections.

The preferred method of making the illustrative crate is to assemble thesheets and cleats for the body of the crate, in the flat, in a crateblank machine which staples the binding wires to the sheets and cleatsforming the flat three-section blank shown in Fig. 7. The sections ofthe blank shown in Fi 7 are then folded at right an les to eac otherinto crate form, and en s 8 are secured to the end cleats 2 of the bodyof the crate. The sheets and cleats for the top section are similarlyassembled in a crate lank machine and the wires sta led thereto. Thestaples are preferabl dnven'tightly over the wires to prevent t em froms lpping beneath the staples. Preferably, the wires on the top sectionare sufiiciently long to extend over either side of the crateto bejoined to the wires of'the body of the crate, although, if desired, thebody wires may be long enough to extend over the closing corners and tothe top of the crate. The center wire 7 on the top section is preferablylonger than the end wires 3 to accommodate the upward bulge of the topsection at its center, when placed in position on a bulge pack,although, if desired, the center wire 7 of the body of the crate may belong enough to extend over onto the bulge top and be there intertwistedwith the wire 7 of the top section.

Among other advantages, my improved bulge-pack crate is easy toassemble, pack and close; the separate top section being readily placedin position on a bulge pack and the wire ends twisted together. Owing tothe arrangement which permits the shifting of the cleats on the toprelative to the cleats on the sides, the top section is free toaccompany a settling movement of the contents of the crate, and thetensioned wires com 1 the top section to accompany this settlmg movementof the contents of the crate and thereby hold the contents of the crateagainst shifting movement during transit.

The ventilation spaces in each section and at each corner of the cratefacilitate the packing of a number of such crates in a box car or otherconveyance without shutting 011 the circulation of air from any crate.

The contents of the crate may be easily inspected during transit bycutting one of the end wires at one corner of the top section which willpermit the raising of that corner of the top section sufficiently forinspection purposes without impairing to any great extent theeffectiveness of the crate as a shippin" container. After ins tion thecorner of the top which was raise may be returned to a closed positionand secured in such position by a metal strap or brad secured to thecleat 2 of the side section and extending over the closing corner of thecrate and secured to the cleat 2" of the top section.

To facilitate inspection in transit, a comparatively heavy ga e bindingwire may be used, which wire wil securely hold the top section inposition by a mere hooking engagement or single twist instead of apermanent twisting engagement thereby permitting a disengagement of theconnection between the top and the body of the crate without cutting thebinding wire.

Having described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, what isclaimed is:

1. A wirebound bulge-pack crate comprising cleat-reinforced side andbottom sections connected together in foldable relationship by bindingwires secured to and extending across the several sections, the cleatsbeing located adjacent the ends of the sections, and a separate cleatedtop section secured to the side sections by wires stapled to the topsection and tensioned over the cover corners of the crate andintertwisted with the wires on the side sections, the top section beinglonger than the side and bottom sections to permit the top section tobulge upward, and the cleats of the top section being located adjacentthe ends thereof and constructed and arranged to fit between the cleatsof the side sections and to shift relative to said side cleat" inaccordance with variations in the bulge of the top section; whereby thetop section will maintain a Illll -pack crate comprising cleat-remforceside and bottom sections connected together in foldable rela tionship bybinding wires secured to and extending across said sections, the cleatsbeing located ad'acent the ends of the sections and the inding wiresbeing located at either end of the sections and, at the center of thesections, and a separate cleated top section havi wires secured theretoat either end thereo and at the center to register with the wires on theside sections for intertwisting therewith, the top section being longerthan the side sections and the center wire on the top section beinglonger than the end wires to accommodate the upward bulge of the topsection, and the cleats of the top section being located adjacent theends thereof and constructed and arran d to fit between the cleats ofthe side sections and to shift relative to said side cleats inaccordance with variations in the bulge of the top section; whereby thetop section will maintain a constant pressure on the contents of thecrate and accompany a settling movement thereof.

3. A wirebound bulge-pack crate comprising side and bottom sections eachrovided with end cleats and connected toget er with binding wires, and aseparate top section provided with end cleats and having wires firmlystapled thereto and adapted to register with the corresponding wires onthe side sections for interengagement therewith, the top section beinlonger than the side sections to permit t e top section to bulge whenplaced on a bulge ack, and the cleats on the top section bein utt-endedto fit between cleats of the si e sections and shift relative theretoin' accordance with variations in the bulge of the top section; whereby,when the wire ends are tensioned over the closing corners andintertwisted, the top section will exert a. constant pressure on thecontents of the crate and will accompany a settling'movement thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROSCOE STEELE.

